Evert favors Alcaraz for Roland Garros 2023

Approaches Roland Garros 2023 and the predictions and general comments about the second Grand Slam of the year begin to appear from experts in our sport. Punto de Break has had access to the press conference that Chris Evert has given to a select group of journalists. The American is one of the experts in Eurosport, a channel that will exclusively broadcast the next Roland Garros. In it, the American analyzes the form of the great contenders for the title, paying special attention to the form of a Carlos Alcaraz that he will arrive in Paris with the feeling of being the best player in the world today. But he also talked about names like Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic o Iga Swiatek in some really interesting words.

Is Alcaraz the favorite?

“Alcaraz is prepared for this title. He must stay healthy, yes, because he is playing a lot. Everyone jumps on his bandwagon when you talk about Carlos because he is phenomenal. I feel like we have never seen this versatile player, with so much passion and hungry for so long. He has it all: he has the athleticism, a full arsenal of skills, he knows how to defend, he knows how to attack, he knows how to move. He’s crazy, he has no weaknesses. For me, I think the title will be his if he gets stay healthy and stay hungry. Rafa (Nadal) vs Carlos would be an amazing match.”

The moment of form of Nadal and Djokovic

“I hope everyone is healthy, it seems like there are a lot of players injured lately. Novak and Rafa are the greatest ever, they have been the best clay court players for the last few years and as they get older they get injured a bit more. We don’t know what their status is going to be, I hope they both reach 100% but we don’t know. You just can’t underestimate Rafa. I haven’t seen a good form on clay from both of them in recent weeks, maybe their preparation is not ideal, but when it comes to Novak and Rafa, they are the guys with the most experience and who know how to deal better than anyone with emotions throughout a Grand Slam.”

Other possible favorites for the men’s draw

“I think there are some hidden ones. Jannik Sinner has evolved quite a bit, working with Darren Cahill has made him more professional and physically stronger. In addition, he has played one-on-one with Carlos Alcaraz on several occasions. I have also been very impressed by Holger Rune I think he’s going to be dangerous. I don’t think he’ll win the tournament, but he could beat a top player, even though he’s already number seven in the world, but I see him as very strong physically and with a lot of determination. Taylor Fritz has also improved a lot We Americans don’t have too many good players on the ground, but Taylor is forging his own path.”

About Dominic Thiem

“I think he’s looking better and better, lately you see him win a few games and he’s still in the process of getting his confidence back. That’s exactly what he needs. You can’t take a year off the circuit and all of a sudden jump into a tournament and accept everything that’s going to happen. You have to work your way back from the bottom, and I hear that you still want to win. You have that incentive, that motivation and I don’t see any reason why you can’t get back to that level. Everything is there. in confidence, he needs to play a huge number of matches. Maybe around the US Open he will be better than he is now. I know we missed him a lot and that he is a very talented player, a great attraction for our sport and I am glad to see him back.”

Favorites for the women’s draw

“I really liked the pace at which Iga Swiatek has walked in recent weeks. She didn’t play in Miami or the Billie Jean King Cup, she is being smart in her training, scheduling her breaks. She is fully prepared and clay is her best surface: she has both a great defense and a great offensive arsenal, she takes the ball out of your hand and takes control of every exchange by moving so well and hitting early I think the area she can improve on is serving and if someone wants to beat her she must constantly attack her second serve. Maybe someone like Aryna Sabalenka can do that, but she has to be consistent and not over-attack. I love the way Aryna is playing, she has clearly established herself as the second best player in the world and she’s much more patient both in exchanges and with herself.”